Safety system and device for use therewith



` Nov. 15, 1938.

w. v. CORNETT 2,136,415 SAFETY SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR USE THEREWI'I'HFiled May 19, 1937 INVENTOR Wa Her: Y Cornef. BY :e:

'ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED Para l SAFETY SYSTEM-'AND DEVICEFOR THEREWITH Walter V. Cornett, Brooklyn,` N. Y. ApplicationMayjli);1937, Serial'No. 143,452` 7`Claims. (Cl. 256-13.1)

attached to the supporting ilange I by the bolt"Y I6` at a point midwayits ends, and that-saidas-rV sembly isfree to flex above said bolt I6,as indi cated in dotted lines at I9, Figure '1, the side-ofl flangeI5'next to the springs being relieved as 5r shown at I5a to permit this.The `springs-extend downward kthrough the aperture or aperturesl4;.;v asshown at 2l!k and overlie the support Ilia'y In.. case pressure is`appliedto the springstozrfleir; them; this pressure is transmittedviathe.iportiorramr 20 of the springs to the support I0 and vialangei I5to the plate II.

At a suitable distance abovevthe groundfthe spring assembly is.drilled'for bolt 2|.- The -head USE Thisfinventi'on relates-fteyimprovements in al safetysystem:and-1device= for use therewith andhassforfan'objectthe provisionof a system of Vposts-zorf'supportsadapted tol be placed along the 5r. sides of roads or highways toprevent'vehicles such-asiautomobiles fromv running off the -road .incasef of l'accident;

Another object is'toV providesuch a system wherein-theimpact of thevehicle is received on liia-continuousgua-rd or `rail `supported onapluralitytof resilient'supports orposts among which the forcefothe-Limpact'is distributed and by which said; force is absorbed.

Anfurthenob-ject is to provide a new form of sr support .or postparticularly suited for use with offthisbolt fits `in a slotx22fin-theguard member. 15;; the system herein described .and having the ador rail23. A-leaf or-coiled:springf2`4'or'otherrre vantagesyhereinafter.pointed out. silient meansisuch as arubber'block, isginterposedrV In theaccompanying drawing: between the guard 23 and the springs I1, I8.Figure 1 is a vertical View, partly in section, of The guard 23 extendshorizontally from post to one of the supports or posts forming the mainpost and is adapted when struck, to transmit the 20 subject matter ofthis application; impact to a plurality of posts and to the springFigure 2 is a rear view of the post, Figure l, 4assemblies thereon whichabsorb the impact with the web of the support I0 shown in section.;energy.

Figure 3 is a top View of the post, Figure 1; and By providing the slot22 in the guard rail, it is 25 Figure 4 is a view, partly in section, ofa prenot necessary to very accurately space each post. 25 ferred form ofguard rail for use with the posts However, a steel cable can be usedinstead of the shown in the preceding figures. k guard rail, said cablebeing secured to the bolts Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I0 denotes2| in any Suitable manner. an I beam of suitable dimensionsl forming asup- By having the bolt IB above ground, the spring 3o port. This may bedriven into the ground to any assembly can be replaced in case of damageWth- 3o desired depth. The web of the beam is drilled out digging up thesupport IIJ. Also the plate II near the top to admit a bolt I3 to bepresently Can be replaced in CaSe Of breakage by removing referred to.the earth about the anges I2 and bolt I3 with- 'rne numeral Il denotes aplate having the out digging up the support I0. The support can.

downwardly extending flanges I2, I2 adapted to therefore, be safely setin concrete if desired'for 35 nt; snugly in the 1 beam. These flangesare there is little danger of ever having to replace drilled and boltedto the web of the beam by bolt it in Case of Severe breakage t0 any 0fthe parts I3. As the flanges iit the beam closely, the plate ebOVegIOU-ndis firmly secured to the beam. It may be so se- In Operatll, aTOW 0f the POStS may be Set 40 cured before the beam is driven in theground alOng a highwayin the 1151121 mannen The Sup- 40 and forms aconvenient head for driving the ports l0 may be buried in concrete andpockets beam. l formed about the heads of them to permit at- The platehas one or more apertures I4 theretaching the plates Il later. When theposts are through. Adjacent these is the upstanding complete, the guardrail 23 will extend along the ange I5. Secured to this flange by boltsI6 are highway a Sufficient height from the ground to 45 the resilientmembers I1, I8, forming in effect engage the average auto Wheel 0rbumper. leaf springs. Obviously any number of leaves Assuming there isan accident and an automocan be used on each assembly and one, two orbile strikes the rail 23, the force of the impact more assemblies can beused on each plate. The will be distributed along the rail to severalsets of physical dimensions of these springs and their spring assembliesor posts. In each assembly the 50 number and arrangement will dependupon the spring 24 will be exed and absorb some of the character of thesafety system, that is to say, the impact. The remaining unabsorbedforce is now maximum impact the system must withstand, transmitted tothe springs I1, I8, which are flexed and this can be calculated in aknown manner. as shown at I9, Figure 1, which exing absorbs It will beobserved that each spring assembly is some more of the shock. Theremaining undlssi- 55 pated force is transmitted to the stationary partof the post.

By providing the springs I1, I8, 24 and interposing them between theapplied force of impact and the stationary supports l0, H, the danger ofdisplacing the xed parts of the post assembly is minimized, and byproviding a continuous guard member or rail 23 to distribute the impactover a number of these posts, the destructive force is furtherdissipated. 'I'he resiliency of the system causes the guard rail tospring suiciently to throw the automobile back toward the road to agreater degree than with systems using rigid posts and cables.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety device comprising a support having a portion extending belowthe level of the guard, a leaf spring member secured thereto andextending upwardly therefrom and having a portion extending downwardlybelow its point of attachment to said support and below said groundlevel and overlying the side of the support, and a horizontal guardmember resiliently supported on said spring member.

2. A safety device comprising a support, a spring member secured theretoand extending upwardly therefrom and having a portion extendingdownwardly below its point of attachment to said support and overlyingthe side of same, a horizontal guard member supported on said springmember, and resilient means between said guard and its support.

3. A safety device comprising a support, an apertured plate securedthereto, a spring member secured to said plate and passing through saidaperture therein and having a portion extending upwardly therefrom and aportion extending therebelow adapted to laterally engage said support,and a horizontal guard member extending across said spring member andsupported thereby.

4. A safety device comprising a support, a plate secured thereto, aspring member secured to said plate and extending upwardly therefrom, ahorizontal rail extending across said spring member, and resilient meansinterposed between said member and rail whereby the latter is supportedon said member.

5. A safety device comprising a support, a plate having a ange extendingtherefrom, means for securing said ange to said support, a second angeextending from said plate, a spring member secured to said secondflange, and a horizontal guard member secured to said spring member.

6. In a safety system of the class described, a plurality of supports,resilient members detachably secured to said supports comprising atsprings having portions overlying said supports and being attachedthereto at points midway their ends, a guard member extending betweensaid supports and supported on said resilient members, and resilientmeans between said guard and said members.

7. In a safety system of the class described, a plurality of supportsadapted to be buried in the ground, plates adapted to overlie saidsupports and having integral flanges adapted to be secured thereto at apoint below the ground level, resilient members extending upwardly fromsaid plates and removably secured thereto at points above the groundlevel, and a guard member secured to said members and adapted whenstruck to transmit shock to said members to be absorbed by theresiliency thereof.

WALTER V. CORNETT.

